KUALA LUMPUR: There are no plans to extend the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) scholarships to graduates who secure upper second class degree honours.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching said at present, only those who earn first class honours were eligible for PTPTN scholarships.

Yap (BN-Tawau) said the loan exemption, introduced in 2003, reflected the government's consideration in recognising excellent students, including those from private institutions of higher learning, regardless of race.

"This also serves as a motivation to students to double up efforts to achieve excellent results.

"It shows our commitment to produce graduates who are knowledgeable and of high quality.

"To date, a total of 41,706 borrowers have benefitted from this policy," she told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Yap was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin), who asked the former to state a revision of a policy of PTPTN loans that have also been given to those from rich families, and the policy to convert loans into scholarships for excellent students as both policies benefitted those from rich families and private institutions of higher learning.